Josdean’s Profile
Recent Comments
What is your favorite ice cream novelty?
I adore Choco-Tacos but they're hard to find. Someone told me that Taco Bell carries them, but I've never had the desire to step into the "Bell".
Aside from Primanti Brothers...What are good eats in Pittsburgh?
I'm way late posting this, but Primanti's was a gizmo that has gone south long ago. We'd go at 3 am after frat parties and would eat donkey doo and wouldn't know the difference. In the sober "and light of day", the place just lost it's ambiance. I wouldn't waste a dollar on one of their 'so-called' branch restaurants. The crazyness in the strip is half the enjoyment, and you must decidedly be drunk and arrive no earlier than 3 am.
We desperately need a GOOD German restaurant in the Burg. I don't want to sit at picnic benches to enjoy authentic German cuisine or a noisy sports bar. If anyone is out there, bring us a good German pub with all the traditionals! Thanks. Now I can sleep better :-)
Pittsburgh and Phoenix regional food?
Me again. I just realized I posted a recipe for my Super Steeler No-Bake Snack Mix and never finished the recipe. I think I fell asleep at my computer :-))
Anyway, here goes. I get rave reviews.
In a large bowl, combine the following:
17.9 oz. box of Crispix cereal
2 boxes of Cheese Ritz Bits
1 bag of thin pretzel sticks, broken to bite size pieces
7 oz. bag of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish
12 oz. box of Cheez-it crackers (spicy or regular)
(Can add nuts or whatever else sounds good.)
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 bottle of Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn Oil with 1 envelope of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. Once well-combined, pour over the dry ingredients and toss well with a big spoon. Let sit up to 24 hours, stirring from the bottom up every hour or so until all the crackers are coated. It's best made 1 day ahead. Store in a can or leave in bowl if using it the next day.
Extremely addicting!
See more comments by Josdean »
Recent Posts
Serious Efforts: Brewing the Perfect Pitcher of Iced Tea
Posted by Josdean, January 19, 2009 at 11:44 PM
Looks Like an East Coast Super Bowl: What Foods Shall We Wager?
Posted by Josdean, January 11, 2009 at 11:18 PM
See more posts by Josdean »
Recent Favorites
Serious Efforts: Brewing the Perfect Pitcher of Iced Tea
Posted by Josdean, January 19, 2009 at 11:44 PM
See more favorites by Josdean »
Recent Polls
Josdean hasn't answered any polls yet.
Recent Quizzes
Josdean hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
Recent Comments | Response to Comments
July 4th - What are Your Plans?
Hi! I've done 15, July 4th parties. I make homemade pulled pork BBQ. fried chicken, a sack of corn on the cob, and hot dogs. I make coleslaw myself. I ask, in my invitation, to bring a sidedish. that they would be happy to present, along with recipe. Beware - you may end up with Twinkies and Blow Bops for dessert. I had a back-up plan at least.
My best advice: Set up everything you can ahead of time. Enlist your friends to help. They'll be more than capable of helping you set up, greet your guests and head them toward the liquor. HeHe. ENJOY YOUR OWN PARTY! I hope it's wonderful! Just chill. Things always come out in the long run.
What is your favorite ice cream novelty?
I adore Choco-Tacos but they're hard to find. Someone told me that Taco Bell carries them, but I've never had the desire to step into the "Bell".
Aside from Primanti Brothers...What are good eats in Pittsburgh?
I'm way late posting this, but Primanti's was a gizmo that has gone south long ago. We'd go at 3 am after frat parties and would eat donkey doo and wouldn't know the difference. In the sober "and light of day", the place just lost it's ambiance. I wouldn't waste a dollar on one of their 'so-called' branch restaurants. The crazyness in the strip is half the enjoyment, and you must decidedly be drunk and arrive no earlier than 3 am.
We desperately need a GOOD German restaurant in the Burg. I don't want to sit at picnic benches to enjoy authentic German cuisine or a noisy sports bar. If anyone is out there, bring us a good German pub with all the traditionals! Thanks. Now I can sleep better :-)
Pittsburgh and Phoenix regional food?
Me again. I just realized I posted a recipe for my Super Steeler No-Bake Snack Mix and never finished the recipe. I think I fell asleep at my computer :-))
Anyway, here goes. I get rave reviews.
In a large bowl, combine the following:
17.9 oz. box of Crispix cereal
2 boxes of Cheese Ritz Bits
1 bag of thin pretzel sticks, broken to bite size pieces
7 oz. bag of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish
12 oz. box of Cheez-it crackers (spicy or regular)
(Can add nuts or whatever else sounds good.)
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 bottle of Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn Oil with 1 envelope of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. Once well-combined, pour over the dry ingredients and toss well with a big spoon. Let sit up to 24 hours, stirring from the bottom up every hour or so until all the crackers are coated. It's best made 1 day ahead. Store in a can or leave in bowl if using it the next day.
Extremely addicting!
Pittsburgh and Phoenix regional food?
Don't forget the haluski! Boil wide noodles and drain. Cut 1 head of cabbage into 1 inch wide pieces. Cut 2 big onions into slices of the same size, then cut in half. Melt 2 sticks of butter in a BIG pan and saute everything. The cabbage will sweat down eventually. Season well with onion salt and black pepper. I cook it until the noodles start to brown. Stir frequently. Ambrosia!
What's Your Signature Snack for the Super Bowl?
Wow! I Did the jalapeno popper dip for New Years. Got it from you guys. Awesome!
This is my own, no-bake snack mix to die for.
In large bowl, combine:
17.9oz large box of Crispix cereal
2 boxes of Cheese Nips
1 box of Ritz Bitz with the cheese filling
Add nuts or whatever
Super Bowl Food Swap Update
Hey Hungrygrl7 - Spread the word, E&P is offering free shipping in the US for Smiley cookies or gift baskets. I will be spreading the Steeler/Smiley cookie word.
@Perky - Pgh. DEFINITELY has their own vernacular basterdization of the English language (Pittsburgeeze). You guyz run a close second!
American SE Readership
I think everyone is excited for a multitude of reasons. But when it comes right down to it, the Obama's feel like they could be your next door neighbors. They have close family ties. They obviously love each other (hard to fake that) and they relate to multiple generations. Each, in their own right, are highly educated and intelligent. Their kids are adorable. In so many ways, we feel an affinity with them. God bless America. This fresh breeze was a long time coming.
Talk Categories
All I know is that when I first enter the SE web site via my shortcut, a list of definitions appear for the Talk topics.. Once I click on anything, they disappear. For what it's worth.
Chef, There's a Restaurant Critic in Our Dining Room!
To lighten things a bit, we used to have a ridiculous 'anonymous' critic who would show up at restaurants with a paper bag over his head. It was fun watching him try to eat through the whole in the bag :-)
Super Bowl Food Swap Update
@ Chilimama - Chipped ham is shaved so thin that if you could actually pull a whole slice from the deli bag, you could almost read a newspaper through it. Now THAT'S shaved ham. I have a friend here whose parents head to Florida each winter. When she visits, she is not allowed to come down without bringing 4 lbs. of chipped ham. She used to carry it on the plane. Not sure if she can anymore. My wager still stands, Cardinal fans. Mmmm... can you taste it now???
Super Bowl Food Swap Update
I heard you Perk (and Iz too). I feel your pain, but, alas, we can't all be going to the Show. I would rather play your iggles. We would have had some interesting 'conversations'. No crow eating required (as long as you root for Pgh). There are enough tasteless (but funny) bird jokes circulating already. I got an e-mail with a picture of a dead raven in the middle of the road, and in the distance, you see a Jeep speeding away with a license plate that says "Steelers", and the sign along the side of the road says "Tampa 40 Miles". I won't even go into the Cardinal roadkill pix (only because I feel bad for the poor bird in the picture).
Just to show you all how fanatical we are about our Steelers, the biggest family restaurant chain based in W. PA (over 70 units), Eat'n Park, are closing their restaurants on Superbowl Sunday at 3:00 so that all of their employees can watch the game. Pretty cool.
Now, where are all you Arizona folks hiding??? Let's hear from you too.
Serious Efforts: Brewing the Perfect Pitcher of Iced Tea
Wow! You guys have a wealth of information. I intend to conduct experiments the likes of which you see on Alton Brown or Ted Allen's show. I will invite my iced tea-drinking friends who are also brewing impaired. I will report back on our progress. With the amount of tea we will be drinking, it's likely that our post may show up in the middle of the night due to our caffeine overdose. But, aaah..feel the buzz! Thanks so very much :-))
Serious Efforts: Brewing the Perfect Pitcher of Iced Tea
Maybe my problem is that I use Sweet'n Low as a sweetener? Would that make a difference? I no longer need to watch my weight, but S&L used to be my go-to. I'm going to whip up some simple syrup as we speak.
Super Bowl Food Swap Update
@ lemons - Kurt deserves this shot. He's a good guy, but so is our Ben. The Steeler's owners have been in negotiations to keep the team in Pgh., so I know how you feel. Pork Steaks... Ummmmm!
Recipe Request: Dense Banana Cake
You could also make a torte with a dense, sour cream banana bread. Just slice the loaf in thirds and use the filling and frosting of your choice. Maybe a browned butter/black walnut filling with a cream cheese frosting? I never thought about it, but I think I might give this a whirl. Let us know what you decide and how it works.
Super Bowl Food Swap Update
I am serious. I can't match every challenger, but a good, serious foodie wager is within my budget. For those of you who have never had chipped chopped ham out west, it's the bomb! Other east vs. west individual challenges would be interesting as well!
Looks Like an East Coast Super Bowl: What Foods Shall We Wager?
No shit fires this year, at least not yet. Mostly good-natured drinking and eating 'burg foods. Hope it stays that way!
Tramontina Saute Pan
Check my Tramontina of post several months ago. I inherited these pans and didn't know their value or quality. I received lots of valuable info. For what it's worth, I noticed that once up to temp, the pans retain their heat for a LONG time. I was browning butter and ended up scorching it; however, it cleaned up nicely. I can't compare them to All Clad unfortunately. It seems there is also a difference in quality based upon where the pans were manufactured - Brazil or US. I look forward to everyone's comments.
Can I Freeze Cooked Pork?
When I have leftover pork roast (like pork shoulder), I mix it with the gravy and freeze it in a plastic container. It makes for great open face pork sandwiches with mashed potatoes.
Does Anyone Know This Vintage Cherry-Flavored, Solid-Jelly Candy?
I distinctly remember getting that very candy at Morrow's Nut House on the boardwalk in Cape May, NJ. That was 35 years ago. Nevertheless, I would check the salt water taffy and candy stores at the beach. It seems a lot of them are getting back into the vintage boardwalk candy offerings.
Rice Cooker Recommendations?
I have a small Elite. It was fairly cheap ($20) and has a tight fitting glass lid and steamer basket. It also has the cook and warm settings. My big complaint is that the rice scorches on the bottom, even when I don't use the warm setting. Other than that, the rice cooks quickly and comes out nice and fluffy.
Looks Like an East Coast Super Bowl: What Foods Shall We Wager?
GOOOOOO....STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TAMPA, HERE WE COME!!!!! BTW, What were Raven folks sending us Steeler folks????
Go, Alice! Go, Alice!
Thanks Chiff. My rant is that I have given homegrown veggies and herbs my best shot. I use "green" fertilizer and insect sprays. Just when I'm ready to reap my rewards, the f@*#ing deer eat everything in one night! I'm tired of feeding our local wildlife. PS: I live in a highly-populated suburban community. The deer are not afraid of us, we're afraid of the deer.
Two Whole Pork Shoulders: Now What?
My simple standard - Coat all sides with garlic salt and black pepper. Add roughly 4 tbsp. of veg. oil to roaster pan. Brown on all sides as need be. Add water to 1/3 of the level of the meat, cover and braise around 3 hrs. Check water level and add more as needed. Perfect pork roast.
Top Ten Worst Halloween 'Candies'
I disagree about a lot of the candy items mentioned here.
I, for one, LOVE the fun-sized (or mini, if you prefer) candies. It's a tiny bit of something insanely tasty, enough to give pleasure without causing tummy pains. When I was a young'un and I went trick-or-treating, one house gave out mini Clark bars. Yum-o-delish! I polished those off first.
I think the chewy peanut butter kisses taste absolutely divine.
Candy corn, I think is plenty of tasty, as are the candy pumpkins made of candy-corn base. Think little dollops of hardened cake-frosting.
As for apples and raisins, those I didn't mind in the least.
However, some items, I do agree about.
Toothbrushes -- a boring reminder
Religious pamphlets -- disappointing and WEIRD to boot.
Packages of "normal" food -- oh, for crying in Manhattan, what kid wants to receive a can of baked beans or a box of oat bran in his little plastic jack-o-lantern.
One time I received cough drops -- and not the Ludens or Pine Bros or Smith Bros or F&Fs, which are tasty and could pass as hard candy (as can the Ricolas). These were nasty little green pellets that were -- and tasted like -- MEDICATION. Like I said, for crying in Manhattan! For crying in Manhattan, Chicago, and San Francisco
Oh well. At least I didn't get a ROCK
Top Ten Worst Halloween 'Candies'
If I didn't live in an apartment building with no kids in it I'd be giving out and full sized candy bar AND a red bull to every kid. HAHAHA!!! HALLOWEEN IS FOR KIDS! SUCK IT PARENTS!
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish: Yea or Nay?
I haven't had one in decades but just to keep this sandwich going, I will go there and have them.
Southern Food - What's your favorite?
I am surprised that only @Divadog mentioned banana pudding - my, my, how well I remember my first taste in South Carolina - would love a real recipe - up here in Canada one can get banana cream pie, but it cannot touch southern banana pudding.
Also, hush puppies, not the mass produced ones, but the lovely crispy, fluffy ones produced in small restaurants - bliss.
Frogmore stew or Brunswick stew - I have seen it called both, but I have reproduced it in Canada to rave reviews - I had to buy my Old Bay seasoning stateside, though I believe if you shop around in specialty stores you can find it now.
Deep fried okra, biscuits, shrimp & grits - need I go on - our vacations in the South necessitate a great deal of restraint.
I have mentioned before how lucky people in the South are, to have both sweet and non sweet ice tea available at almost every restaurant you enter. There is absolutely nothing nicer than to walk in from the torpid heat and humidity and have a large, cold glass of tea!
Southern Food - What's your favorite?
I'm a southern girl..born and raised in Texas.. and my favorite southern style foods are chicken fried steak, biscuits and sausage gravy, real texas chili (no beans) it's gotta be meaty, bbq brisket, cornbread and pintos, hush puppies, ambrosia, pecan pie and I like an occasional crawfish boil :) And I love sweet tea :)
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish: Yea or Nay?
They're tastey but they're like 700 calories each!!!!!!
Autumn Candy
Fall candy? Hmm. I think those candy corn pumpkins are my fave....but they are so sugary....I love roasted marshmallows....so I choose that.
Autumn Candy
i hated mary janes, circus peanuts, and any palmer mocklate as a kid, loved peanut butter cups and krackels the most. always traded my tootsie candies.
funny thing is now i am addicted to those mary janes! i used to hate them so much, you guys should give them another chance!
Autumn Candy
I've never been a big fan of hard candy like jolly ranchers, lollipops, etc. I'm also not a fan of tootsie rolls
My favorite candies were the chocolate ones - peanut M&Ms, Reese's, Three Musketeers, etc.
Autumn Candy
Hated: all those generic hard candies especially the ones wrapped in that faux strawberry wrapper, Nestle's Crunch, Krackle or any other kind of chocolate with krispies, tootsie rolls and pops
Other hated non candy items: getting raisins, plastic wrapped apples or carrots, pennies, getting toothbrushes in the treat bag
Loved: Brand name bars especially Snickers, Reeses, M&M's. also small snack size bags of Doritos, chips -also one house every year gave everyone a goody bag with all name brand candies--WE LOVED HER! I would switch my costume and then go back again...:o)
Loved (non candy items) getting a 10.00 bill in my bag one year...
Autumn Candy
Hated: Mr. Goodbar, Crackle, Crunch, Smarties
Loved: the black and orange chewy candies everyone else hated, non-chocolate flavored Tootsie Rolls (especially vanilla in the blue and white wrapper), Hershey bars.
The best part was that there was one woman who lived around the corner who gave out FULL SIZED, brand name candy bars. We never saw her any other time, but she was our favorite neighbor.
How to cook a boston butt?
you gotta love a boston butt... a good way to tenderize a butt or shoulder is if you put it in zing zang bloody mary mix over night. i would think that any bloody mary mix would work. then wrap it in foil twice and put on the grill (medium heat) for about 3 to 5 hours depending on its size.
Sandwiches at Primanti Brothers: Pittsburgh Between Two Slices
I have lived in Pittsburgh all my life and I cannot understand why people love Primanti's. The sandwich is very dry from the french fries.
Adults and baby food?
I use baby food fruits instead of real live bananas as a nice change in my banana bread recipe.
Adults and baby food?
I'm with chisai and mayoxqueen on YoBaby Yogurt!
It's the creamiest, most luscious yogurt ever... I couldn't believe it when I first tasted it before I fed it to my baby (who loved it, too!). I would finish whatever was leftover in the cup :p ... yummmm....
Adults and baby food?
Okay, I must say I love peach baby food and those little puff things for tots! But being a teenager, and eating baby food can be a big problem! Mostly because I get odd looks from people in the check out line........and then everyone has to ask who is the owner of the baby food in the fridge at school.....which is always awkward. But now I'm chill with it, I mean it's just mushed up food, right?
Loose tea leaves in the Pittsburgh area...
Margaret's Fine Imports used to be 3/4 of the way down the hill on Murry. It was called Wicks and Beans. It moved to 5872 Forbes Ave., near Littles Shoe Store. You will find hundreds of loose leaf teas to choose from. Every first Wednesday of the month you can attend a free tea class and tea tasting. For Christmas good teas are Pumpkin Spice or Winter White Earl Grey. If you have a glass teapot flowering teas that expand into a flower sculpture in your teapot are a pretty gift. Other good teas are Golden Monkey, a black tea with gold veins and Strawberry Green, a green tea with the taste and fragrance of strawberries. Stop in the store, it is open seven days a week or visit the web site at www.teapittsburgh.com. The bonuses of visiting the store are Margaret's expert help and being able to smell and see the teas before you buy them. A list of teas is available at http://www.teapittsburgh.com/teapittsburgh.html.
Unsalted v Salted Butter
I use unsalted for baking and salted for everything else.
Unsalted v Salted Butter
I remember years ago, on his PBS show, Jacques Pepin said that if you use salted butter, just cut down on the amount of salt in the rest of the recipe. If it works for Jacques, then it works for me!
Besides, I really don't like either the taste or smell of unsalted butter. Sort of makes me gag!
Unsalted v Salted Butter
It makes me crazy to eat baked goods without enough salt. They are are either too sweet or bland. To my palette salted butter balances sweetness and enhances the flavor(precisely why we use salt at all) of the other ingredients like chocolate chip cookies that have a wonderful caramel flavor when you bite into it! And baked goods that aren't sweet, like fresh bread, don't need additional butter on top to make it palettable if there's adequate seasoning in the recipe. I use salted butter without exception(nice even distribution through your recipe!) but I don't use refined table salt when the recipe calls for salt. I use coarse sea salt, milder and more nutritious. It all works out in the end.
Goodbye Mother's Cookies. No more pink & white animal cookies?
Aloha from Hawaii. As a kid in Oregon, Mother's iced Animal Cookies had 3 iced cookies. Pink, white AND chocolate.
Funny story... When Mother's announced their 75th anniversary some years ago, I called the company. I suggested that for their 75th anniversary they put back in the chocolate iced animal cookies. The woman at Mother's said to me, "How old are you?" I said old enough to remember pink, white AND chocolate Animal Cookies. We both had a good laugh. I was in my early 40's when Mother's had their 75th anniversary.
To this day, iced Animal Cookies are still my favorite cookie. I still want to see iced chocolate Animal Cookies... then again, I remember licorice popcicles too - they were white in color and tasted like black licorice.
And please bring back Gauchos! Most of us love peanut butter type cookies. Aloha everyone!
What are your coffee shop expectations?
Hi Vicki..I am an Iowa girl. but have lived in the Southwest a long time..so glad to hear that you are located there:) It is so beautiful in Iowa inJune and July...minus the humidity of course!! I grew up outside of Dubuque-You?
Here's an update for you-for some reason the food issue lessened a bit when I wrote "No Outside Food Please" on the large whiteboard sign at the entrance of our cafe. We have had signs on each table since we opened 3 years ago but find that folks ignore them...see last posting, right?!
Anyway, we have no walls separating us from the rest of the library..oh how we wish we did. So it seems that while the Library staff here (who are valued regular customers and truly wonderful folks) support our no food policy, they allow or overlook food and drinks in other Library areas. Hard to draw a line on the floor and say "See? This is the Library and THIS is the cafe..Food is okay here but not over THERE." And there is our food dilemma-even with Library support.
Also, to make our lives more interesting, the Library is under renovation for the next year...80 computers were available and now that is down to 30...and 2 of these 30 sit in the cafe. Again, the way we are constructed means that people waiting for these 2 computers (reserved at the reference desk) sit at our tables and do not purchase any cafe items.
Then, our safe is far away from my office where I do the money managing everyday...I now have to make my way thru these folks carrying the money bags...imagine how secure that feels.
The lady in the office next to mine is a grant writer and organizes the use of our large meeting room. Oftentimes, she is on a teleconference or hosting a "webinar". Throngs of people outside our offices waiting for their computer times are NOT conducive to business. Because you know Mr. Youtube and his teenage buddies are all using the same computer and commenting or playing the latest rap video without considering the others around them. Also, people walk into our offices (Labeled STAFF ONLY!!!) looking for the printers tied to these 2 computers.
I was told today that these 2 computers would be removed from the Cafe-hooray-can't happen soon enough. So, one difficulty down...just the food and messy people to go! Hope you are hanging in there! Have a great weekend-Julie
What are your coffee shop expectations?
Julie,
Sorry it's taken so long to post here!
I had a meeting with our library board and they are in total support of our coffee shop.
They are also understanding of the public's desire to have a place at the library for family eating.
While they had planned for folks to come to the library and buy items from the cafe and eat or drink at the available tables, they did not plan for people bringing their own food. Since this is a public library they would like to accommodate their patrons.
I think they have decided to amend our lease, with no extra cost to us, to include the 6 tables in the entryway. The four tables outside are to be for public use.
This really works for me as I figure the outside tables are least profitable. Here in Iowa they are not used at all during winter and later this summer it will be to hot to sit outside. The tables are metal. I have also stopped maintaining those tables to discourage people from using them! Since they are not part of the lease I feel it's not my responsibility to clean off the bird poop, except for my customers who want to use them, of course!
I highly recommend you meet with your foundation people, they support your shop, yes? and find out what their expectations are for your space. Let them know how detrimental to your business the practice of customers bringing food and beverage into your coffee shop. I know you said you chase them to outside tables, that is good and you must continue to do this. I would encourage you to put signage on your tables letting people know which tables are for coffee shop use exclusively (with the support of the library) and which can be used for the public (hopefully none of them) and be very vocal about enforcing this decision.
I personally told a lady unloading her fast food onto a table the other day that she needed to take it outside. She replied that it was raining (it wasn't!) so I told her she needed to take it inside and she did. I let her know those are my tables and to move on!
Yes the table had signage that said tables reserved for our customers!
Once you let people take over your space they will continue to do so. Most customers appreciate the signs and feel people bringing food in are rude.
Get the support of your library and enforce it!
By the by, I spoke with another library coffee shop and they pay a bit less rent that I do but they only rent the counter and the space behind it so the serving portion of the shop is library property but they still maintain it and ask people to leave if they are busy. They said while they allow people to bring in food and drink it is rare and they really hate it when people leave their trash to be cleaned up! Can you imagine?
Look forward to hearing how you're doing
Vicki
Fish, love it or hate it?
You can find ALL the information about fish and seafood at:
www.EatFish.com
GREAT SITE!!!
You guys know anything about lactose intolerance?
Yeah that lactagen stuff is incredible! I did the program a few months ago and have been symptom free for the last 4 months. My mom also used it and she has been eating dairy completely symptom free for almost 3 years! Anyone suffering with lactose intolerance should definitely look into this, its amazing. Take your life back people!
Recent Posts
Serious Efforts: Brewing the Perfect Pitcher of Iced Tea
Posted by Josdean, January 19, 2009 at 11:44 PM
Looks Like an East Coast Super Bowl: What Foods Shall We Wager?
Posted by Josdean, January 11, 2009 at 11:18 PM
Giada at Home and Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics
Posted by Josdean, October 18, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Halloween - The most wonderful time of the year!
Posted by Josdean, September 14, 2008 at 12:23 PM
Recent Favorites
Serious Efforts: Brewing the Perfect Pitcher of Iced Tea
Posted by Josdean, January 19, 2009 at 11:44 PM
Polls
Josdean hasn't answered any polls yet.
Quizzes
Josdean hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
About Josdean
Website: http://josdean@verizon.net
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
About: Love to cook. Love to throw big parties. Married with a 17 yr. old son. 7 yrs. in the restaurant biz, 20 years in a major industrial electric corp. Now happily full-time Mom and wife.
Favorite foods: Beef and pork, but also love fresh tomatoes, white corn on the cob, honeycrisp apples and peaches. Guilty pleasure: Secret addiction to black olives - not the fancy ones but the super colossal canned variety.
Last bite on earth: A medium-rare slab of juicy prime rib, chopped salad with extra thousand island dressing, baked potato with gobs of butter and chives, and finally a hunk of good old plain cheesecake.
Hi! I've done 15, July 4th parties. I make homemade pulled pork BBQ. fried chicken, a sack of corn on the cob, and hot dogs. I make coleslaw myself. I ask, in my invitation, to bring a sidedish. that they would be happy to present, along with recipe. Beware - you may end up with Twinkies and Blow Bops for dessert. I had a back-up plan at least.
My best advice: Set up everything you can ahead of time. Enlist your friends to help. They'll be more than capable of helping you set up, greet your guests and head them toward the liquor. HeHe. ENJOY YOUR OWN PARTY! I hope it's wonderful! Just chill. Things always come out in the long run.